Manager, Development Prospect Research, Development

The posting, as Vera Institute of Justice wrote it

About the role

The Manager, Development Prospect Research plays a vital role in advancing Vera’s ambitious fundraising goals by managing and strengthening our prospect identification, research, and qualification strategies across institutional, major, and principal giving and strategic board development. This role supports frontline fundraisers by delivering strategic insight and timely analysis to build and advance a dynamic pipeline of funders aligned with Vera’s mission.

Working closely with the Development and Executive teams, this position leads the development of tools and processes that ensure prospect data is well-curated, actionable, and integrated into the department’s broader strategy.

• Prospect Identification and Research
• Lead prospect identification, qualification, and due diligence efforts for individual, foundation, and corporate donors.
• Conduct and synthesize research on philanthropic capacity, affinity, giving history, networks, and engagement opportunities to support fundraising strategy.
• Develop clear, actionable prospect profiles, briefing materials, and strategic recommendations for development leadership, executive staff, and board engagement.
• Proactively identify and prioritize high-potential prospects through wealth screening, database analysis, and external research tools.
• Provide research support for donor meetings, events, board recruitment, and other strategic engagement opportunities.
• Strategy and Collaboration
• Partner with frontline fundraisers, development leadership, and program staff to align prospect strategy with fundraising and organizational priorities.
• Provide strategic recommendations on donor capacity, inclination, and engagement opportunities to inform cultivation and solicitation efforts.
• Proactively share prospect intelligence, relationship insights, and emerging funding opportunities with key stakeholders.
• Lead targeted prospecting initiatives to identify new donors aligned with priority programs, geographies, and fundraising goals.
• Systems and Tools Development
• Develop and optimize research systems, workflows, and data management practices to improve efficiency, consistency, and data quality.
• Partner with Development Operations to maintain accurate prospect data, ratings, and relationship intelligence within the CRM.
• Evaluate and recommend research tools, subscriptions, and vendors, and train staff on prospect research methodologies and best practices.
• Lead relationship-mapping and network analysis initiatives while staying current on emerging trends, technologies, and practices in prospect research and philanthropy.
• Portfolio and Pipeline Management
• Lead efforts to build, assess, and sustain a diverse, high-quality pipeline of prospective donors.
• Partner with fundraisers and leadership to develop and optimize prospect portfolios based on capacity, affinity, and readiness.
• Oversee prospect ratings, wealth screening, moves management

[…]
rofessionally - is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here .

Application Process

To receive further consideration for this career opportunity, applicants are asked preliminary questions about logistics, their interest and qualifications. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional details about their experience via a phone screen/form in advance of an invitation for a virtual or in-person interview with the team. Some searches may explore scenarios during the interview process and/or an assessment prior to reference checks and a hiring decision.

Applications may also be faxed to

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / [ JOBTITLE]
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org .